SECTION II
B
USINESS B
LOGGING S
ECRETS R
EVEALED! BLOGGING FOR YOUR BUSINESS IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK
chapter six
āWhen the man with a pistol meets the man with a Winchester, the man with a pistol is a dead man.ā
ā Ramon Rojo in Fistful of Dollars
In
chapter four we discussed the basic description of a business blog. In this chapter youāll learn what blogging for your business really means when it comes to getting results. Youāll see why the business blog must be the center of your New Media Marketing Strategy.
So... why are blogs gaining mainstream popularity so quickly? Whatās the attraction? Why is it so darn powerful when applied to business?
The answer is quite simple when you consider the history of marketing and communication. A blog exponentially multiplies the worldās oldest, most favorite and trusted form of information sharing ā word of mouth. People love sharing what they know with like-minded friends.
Think about it. Who do you trust the most to give you advice, recommendations, and information about opportunities, purchases, or choices?
If youāre like the vast majority of people, itās the opinion of someone you know and trust ā someone who you feel is just like you.
That type of trust comes from personal communication, conversations, and relationships built with people who share a common interest. When your blog is integrated into a complete New Media Marketing Strategy, it delivers all that and more.
Blogs provide the public with a more reliable way of getting news and information free from mass media manipulation and interruption marketing.
Blogs have moved from being a tool for publishing digital journals and commentary. Now, hundreds of millions of people are using blogs, some without even realizing it.
What this means for business owners and savvy politicians is that your markets are organizing themselves into tribes engaged in digital conversations.
Consumers are more in control than ever before and they are controlling the conversations on the Internet. Blatant advertising and marketing messages are being shunned.
Consumers want a more personal business experience where they can ask questions, offer feedback and have more facts before purchasing (or voting). Consumers and voters alike want control, and now, thanks to blogs and other New Media tools they have it.
Blogs allow you to build relationships around your brand, your business, your products and services. Relationships are the key. The rules of engagement have changed. Your markets are faster, smarter, and more organized. Now, business blogging positions you where no Web Marketing 1.0 method has ever gone before.
Blogs are search engine magnets whose viral link sharing capabilities allow ideas and traffic to be shared quickly and broadly. To get the benefits weāve shared here, you must be business blogging as opposed to following the example of personal bloggers or your average political blogger.
Ā»BUSINESS BLOGGING SECRETS REVEALEDĀ«
Every blog post is viewed as a separate Web page by the search engine spiders.
This is great news if youāre looking to optimize your own Web site by using your blog as part of your main
Business blogging opens the door to the world of exponential leverage for the average small business owner. Now, whether you live in Honolulu, Hawaii; Boise, Idaho; or Sydney, Australia; you can use blogging as a business multiplication tool that puts word-of-mouth marketing to work for you.
A few of the practical ways you can use a business blog:
Increase targeted traffic to your site Reliably boost your search engine rankings Build rapport and trust for more sales Multiply the lifetime value of your existing clients Prove your expertise as a respected authority in your niche Transform your clients into raving fans and customer evangelists Replace or complement your email newsletter for 100% delivery Generate press exposure and offline media coverage
Blogs are not just used for sales, marketing and buzz. There are dozens of business areas where blogs can help improve information flow and improve efficiency.
Here are just seven ways that a business blog can boost performance internally in your business:
1.Project development and management for enhanced collaboration among team members across the hall or across the world.
2.Centralizing company information and distribution that eliminates duplication and redundant research.
3.A nearly instantaneous client and customer feedback engine that allows companies (large and small) to nip consumer issues and complaints in the bud.
4.Reducing email overhead and improving general team management by answering a question once, and only once.
5.A low-cost, instantaneous update system that automatically distributes premium āmust haveā information to clients and customers ā with no worries about delivery issues or spam filters.
6.Organization and coordination of your in-house and outsource agent teams.
7.An online, creative think tank where internal company teams or industry peers from across the country can mastermind on a topical basis.
There are actually dozens more! In fact, the number of business boosting blogging applications is only limited by oneās imagination.
To help stir your thinking even further, you can download the free whitepaper ā21 Creative Way To Boost Business With Blogsā from the resource area at AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com.
Ā»BUSINESS BLOGGING SECRETS REVEALEDĀ«
Blogs are powerful drivers of Internet traffic because they deliver content that is fresh, timely and, frequently updated around focused topics and themes. All of these characteristics make blogs top power tools for search engine ranking and online marketing.
Ā»BUSINESS BLOGGING SECRETS REVEALEDĀ«
When it comes to online marketing, quality content attracts both human visitors and Internet spiders alike. Organic search results are one of your main traffic drivers. The number one priority for marketing a product and service with a blog is to get your site content into the search engines for keywords. This will deliver targeted customers and prospects straight to your door.
PERSONAL BLOGGING VS. BUSINESS BLOGGING
Personal blogging is done by all types of individuals young and old. They tend to publish articles that voice their opinions on a wide and scattered range of topics. Personal bloggers typically find it fun to document their personal lives, rant, or talk through stream-of-consciousness tangents.
Business blogging is done by business owners or paid employees within a company. These blogs have a narrow focus on the interests that are important to the target audience of the company, and have a common theme even when written by multiple individuals. Business blogs are used to promote products or services that help drive revenue and profits. Theyāre used to increase reputation, credibility and authority with customers, vendors, and partners by publishing content that demonstrates knowledge and expertise within a given industry, market segment, or niche.
What Is The Difference Between A Blog And A Web site?
There are some important differences between a blog and a typical, static Web site. Hereās a quick summary of how blogs are different from a regular Web site.
Blogs Are Different In The Following Key Ways:
ā¢You donāt need a Webmaster for regular updates.
ā¢You can publish directly from your computer. (If you can use Microsoft Word, you can maintain a blog.)
ā¢You can easily make changes to content with instant updates and minimal effort.
ā¢There is no need for complex uploading of files to the Internet.
ā¢Thereās no HTML...